The Laws open with the words of an Athenian: “Qeo\j h1 tij a0nqrw&pwn u9mi=n, w} ce/noi, ei1lhfe th\n ai0ti/an th=j tw~n no/mwn diaqe/sewj;” Trevor J. Saunders translates ‘Tell me, gentlemen, to whom do you give the credit for establishing your codes of law? Is it a god or a man’ (published 1970). Tom Griffith, in his translation published in 2016, translates: ‘Is it a god, my friends, who in your view should take the credit for your legal arrangements? Or some human?’
The Greek tij ei1lhfe
th\n ai0ti/an is
active; the Athenian xenos asks Cleinias, the Cretan, and Megillus, the
Lacedaemonian, ‘who took upon himself the responsibility’ for the establishment
of the laws.
In the
following three books the three amuse themselves by discussing laws. Only at
the close of the third book we learn that this discussion may have a practical
purpose.
Cleinias: As
luck would have it (E1oiken kata\ tu/xhn tina\ h9mi=n ta\ tw~n lo/gwn tou/twn
pa/ntwn w{n diech/lqomen gegone/nai), I find that all the subjects we have discussed in our
conversation are relevant to my needs here and now (sxedo\n ga\r ei0j
xrei/an au0tw~n e1gwg’ e0lh/luqa ta\ nu=n). How fortunate that I’ve fallen in
with you and Megillus (kai\ kata/ tina au] kairo\n su/ te parage/gonaj a3ma kai\
Me/gilloj o3de)! I won’t
keep you in the dark about my position (ou0 ga\r a0pokru/yomai sfw_ to\ nu=n
e0moi\ sumbai=non) –
indeed, I think that meeting you is a good omen for the future (a0lla\ kai\ pro\j
oi0wno/n tina poiou=mai).
The greater part of Crete (h9 ga\r plei/sth th=j Krh/thj) is attempting to found a colony (e0pixeirei= tina
a0poiki/an poih/sasqai),
and has given responsibility for the job to the Cnossians (kai\ prosta/ttei toi=j
Knwsi/oij e0pimelhqh=nai tou= pra/gmatoj); and the state of Cnossos has delegated it to myself and
nine colleagues (h9 de\ tw~n Knwsi/wn po/lij e0moi/ te kai\ a1lloij e0nne/a). Our brief is to compose a legal
code on the basis of such local laws as we find satisfactory (a3ma de\ kai\
no/mouj tw~n te au0to/qi, ei1 tinej h9ma=j a1re/skousi, ti/qesqai keleu/ei), and to use foreign laws as well (kai\ ei1 tinej
e9te/rwqen) – the fact
that they are not Cretan must not count against them (mhde\n u9pologizome/nouj
to\ ceniko\n au0tw~n),
provided their quality seems superior (a2n belti/ouj fai/nwntai). So what about doing me – and you –
a favour (nu=n ou]n kai\ e0moi/ te kai\ u9mi=n tau/thn dw~men xa/rin)? Let’s take a selection of the
topics we have covered and construct an imaginary community, pretending that we
are its original founders (e0k tw~n ei0rhme/nwn e0kle/cantej, tw~| lo/gw| susthsw&meqa
po/lin, oi[on e0c a0rxh=j katoiki/zontej). That will allow us to consider the question before us (kai\ a3ma me\n
h9mi=n ou[ zhtou=men e0pi/skeyij genh/setai), and it may be that I’ll use this framework for the future
state (a3ma
de\ e0gw_ ta/x’ a2n xrhsai/mhn ei0j th\n me/llousan po/lin tau/th|
th=| susta/sei).
Athenian:
Well, Cleinias, that’s certainly welcome news (Ou0 po/lemo/n ge e0pagge/lleij, w}
Kleini/a)! You may take
it that I for my part am entirely at your disposal, unless Megillus has some
objections (a0ll’ ei0 mh/ ti Megi/llw|| prosa/ntej, ta\ par’ e0mou= ge h9gou=
soi pa/nta kata\ nou=n u9pa/rxein ei0j du/namin).
Cleinias:
Splendid (Eu] le/geij)!
Megillus:
Yes, I too am at your service (Kai\ mh\n kai\ ta\ par’ e0mou=).
Cleinias: I’m
delighted you both agree (Ka/llist’ ei0rh/katon). Now then, let’s try (a0ta\r
peirw&meqa) – initially
only in theory (lo/gw| prw~ton) – to found our state (katoiki/zein th\n po/lin).
***
The Laws
ends with the following discussion:
Megillus: My
dear Cleinias (W} fi/le Kleini/a), judging from what we’ve heard said (e0k tw~n nu~n
h9mi=n ei0rhme/nwn a9pa/ntwn), either we’ll have to abandon the project of founding the state (h2 th\n po/lin
e0ate/on th=j katoiki/sewj) or refuse our visitor leave us (h2 to\n ce/non to/nde ou0k a0fete/on), and by entreaties and every ruse
we can think of enrol him as a partner in the foundation of the state (a0lla\ deh/sesin
kai\ mhxanai=j pa/saij koinwno\n poihte/on e0pi\ th\n th=j po/lewj katoi/kisin).
Cleinias: You’re
quite right (A0lhqe/stata le/geij), Megillus (w} Megi/lle). That’s what I’m going to do (kai\ e0gw_
poih/sw tau=q ou3twj).
May I enlist your help too (kai\ su\ sulla/mbane)?
Megillus: You
may indeed (Sullh/yomai).
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